U.S. DOT releases climate adaptation and resilience plan

The plan is focused on ensuring that federally supported transportation infrastructure—as well as U.S. DOT programs, policies, and operations—both consider climate change impacts and incorporate adaptation and resilience solutions whenever possible, the department says.

“The climate crisis is here today, threatening Americans’ lives and livelihoods, our homes and businesses, and even the way we travel and operate our federal agencies,” Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “The good news is that we know what to do about it, and America is fully capable of rising to the occasion. While we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the worst outcomes of climate change, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s plan will help ensure that our transportation infrastructure, policies, and programs will be more resilient to the climate impacts already facing our country. Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, we now have a government-wide strategy to protect our people and way of life from the threat of climate change.”

Among the priorities included in the U.S. DOT Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan:

• Incorporate resilience into U.S. DOT grant-making programs
• Enhance resilience through the project planning and development process
• Ensure resiliency of U.S. DOT facilities and thousands of operational assets
• Ensure climate-ready services and supplies
• Improve climate education and research on resilience

U.S. DOT says the bipartisan infrastructure deal includes investments to strengthen U.S. resilience to climate change and extreme weather events, including the first-ever formula and competitive grant program to help states improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure.